Latest News

Is FOD detection dead?

When I started this site it was my hope that it would be full of articles announcing the sale of FOD detection systems to major airports all over the world. Since the birth of the site back in January (2010) not a single sale has been announced by any of the vendors. Even the recent BAA/QinetiQ conference resulted in no news of sales (actually, it hardly generated any news at all).  I’m in the process of writing an article that describes the current situation with regard to the FOD detection market, my hope is to publish the article during January to mark the 1st anniversary of the website.

I’d like to hear from people who have considered purchasing a FOD detection system, but have, for one reason or another, decided not to proceed. If you would like to contribute then please use the contact form and get in touch. All communication will be strictly confidential.

Website update

FOD detection.com has always been Smartphone friendly. If you access the site using a Smartphone you essentially get an App version of the site that is faster to load and easier to navigate. With the release of iOS4.2 today, (enabling multitasking on the iPad) I thought this would be a good day to bring the same experience to Apple’s tablet.

FOD Fighters

An article entitled FOD Fighters at AirportImprovement.com does a very good job of describing the automatic FOD detection systems currently available (although it concentrates on Tarsier), it also describes some methods for removing FOD.

Although it’s arguably the star, the Tarsier system is just one element of Vancouver International’s overall FOD program. In May, about 150 volunteers performed a pre-dawn manual sweep of the runways and grounds at the airport’s 18th annual FOD walk.

See the full article here.

FODFinder XM at AirportBusiness.com

The FODFinder XM from Trex Enterprises is now listed in the AirportBusiness.com directory of products (link).

Here’s the whole article:

fodfinder xm

The only mobile foreign object debris (FOD) detection and retrieval system selected by FAA for its Advisory Circular, and which can be purchased using AIP grant funds. In the last year, the FOD Finder has detected and removed over 10,121 objects from U.S. commercial airports saving them, aircraft owners, and aircraft insurance companies more than $39 million in repairs to aircraft and lower insurance rates based on a Boeing study. FOD Finder is also available in fixed and transportable systems for continuous 24/7 surveillance of runways and construction areas.  All systems are integrated with a digital part 139 airfield management and reporting system to include ARFF, Fuel, Spills, Wildlife and all required checklist items.  Automated reporting with pictures and work order tasking and tracking.  Electric vehicle/vacuum option available.  Trex 365 World class support 24 hours a day.  Return on investment is less than 60 days.  Visit our demo units at Chicago O’Hare, Honolulu International or San Diego.  Call +1 (858) 646 5553 for a webinar or on site demo.

The “return on investment is less than 60 days” is quite a bold claim, it would be nice to see how this was calculated. And just in case there was any doubt from the image, Trex Enterprises is an American company :-)

Whiteman Air force Base FOD walk

FOD walk at Whiteman Air Force BaseAn article has appeared on the Whiteman Air Force Base website describing their FOD clean up procedures.

“Since the B-2 is one of the main air frames operating from Whiteman, sharp objects that may pierce a tire is one of our biggest concerns,” said Airman Siemns. “Because of this, we pay close attention when making our passes during FOD walks, as a punctured tire could lead to an aircraft becoming in operational.”

According to Whiteman statistics, 363.1 lbs. of FOD was collected at the end of the May.

Read the full article (Whiteman Air Force Base website)

AINonline FOD article

AINonline have just posted an article that summarizes the current state of the FOD detection landscape.

Here’s an extract:

Since the Concorde accident, four automatic systems have been developed and have been evaluated by the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Airport Technology at the University of Illinois. All four met FAA criteria, and are each eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, effective October 1. One major airport in the Northeast is understood to have ­submitted its AIP application already.

Read the full article here.

An act of FOD

An article describing the operation of QinetiQ’s Tarsier system at YVR recently appeared on Airport-Technology.com:

There are many risks that must be managed to ensure the safe landing and take off of aircraft, but having caused serious accidents over the years, foreign object damage (FOD) is among the most pertinent. Jim Banks talks to Brett Patterson of Vancouver International Airport, who explores the current solutions, and whether they are working to good effect.

Read the full article at Airport Technology.com

iFerret presentation

An iFerret product page, including a presentation has appeared on the SITA site (Stratech, the company behind iFerret, formed a partnership with SITA in 2008),  I recommend you turn the sound off on your PC as the music can be a little irritating.[update: the page has been removed, and is no longer on the SITA website] Read the rest of this entry »

Ryanair B738 blew tyre on takeoff

From The Aviation Herald

Incident: Ryanair B738 at Dublin on Sep 4th 2010, blew tyre on takeoff

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-DAV performing flight FR-1958 from Dublin (Ireland) to Nice (France), blew a nose gear tyre on takeoff from Dublin’s runway 10. The crew of an airliner departing next reported debris on the runway, a runway inspection revealed tyre debris. The Ryanair crew was informed of the tyre debris and decided to divert to Ryanair’s base at Stansted,EN (UK) where the airplane landed safely.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-EGB reached Nice with a delay of 3:35 hours.

Source (The Aviation Herald)

Sailors save lives

This article recently appeared at Navy.mil and describes the efforts on board the USS Enterprise to keep the deck FOD free.

USS Enterprise CVN-65

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Jared M. King, USS Enterprise Public Affairs:

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) — The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) is working to prevent foreign object damage to aircraft while underway, preparing for its 21st deployment.

Twice daily, all hands are invited to participate in a foreign object debris (FOD) walk-down, to clear the hangar bay and flight deck of any hazardous material. Read the rest of this entry »

Latest Tweets

Filter by category

Browse the archives

amazon pop filter